Tennis, anyone?
Cold rolled washcloths, brought to you at every break by the tennis attendant, ice filled pitchers of water, refilled when needed…. these are some of the perks of playing tennis at the Four Seasons tennis center at Peninsula Papagayo! The tennis center has 4 Har Tru courts and one grass court. This is the only grass court globally at a Four Seasons resort, so has received quite a bit of acclaim.
If you plan on playing tennis while at Peninsula Papagayo, we highly recommend making a point to meet the resident pro, David Hong. He is wonderful, charming, and ready to help with all things tennis. The tennis program is managed by Peter Burwash International, so is very professional and efficient, with a systematic approach to their lessons. You can read about their Costa Rica program in this issue of PBI.
While it might seem that going out first thing in the morning is your best bet. It may not be. Mornings start around 6am and it gets hot fast. We have had more enjoyable weather right around 4pm, playing until sunset. It is much cooler then. Of course, in green season, you are more likely to have rain issues after 2pm, so plan accordingly. Courts are available 7am- 6pm, and you can only reserve 24 hours in advance. Be forewarned that most courts are reserved for lessons, so in high and peak season, you might have to call early to reserve a prime time.
Lessons are around $90/hour, and once the pro has assessed your skill level, he can match you up with a guest of similar ability. There are also daily clinics from 10-11am which are a great value. Around $35, the topic changes daily. Currently, Monday is Cardio Tennis, Tuesday is an advanced drill session, Wednesday is doubles, Thursday is groundstrokes, and Friday is mid-court game.
Insider tip: if you have little kids that like to watch you play, try to reserve the stadium court. Kids can watch you play for a bit, and then entertain themselves doing “kid things” like playing in the stands, watching the iguanas and birds, walking along the railing, bothering the ants, etc, and still be nearby and in-vision without being in the court with you. It is still best to have an adult with them, depending on their age, as one side of the stands backs out to the driveway to the golf club.
Enjoy your tennis time at Peninsula Papagayo!
– story and photos by Jane Moore of Papagayo Luxury –
